Gown tie



Aug. 20, 1968 M. G. LEACH Gow'u T I E Filed April 10, 1967 Merry 6. Leach INVITNTOR.

United States Patent M 3,397,406 GOWN TIE Merry G. Leach, 406 W 4th St., Alton, Ill. 62002 Filed Apr. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 629,675 7 Claims (Cl. 296) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The tie shown separably joins edge portions of a garment, a hospital patients gown for example, wherein the ends of the tie are laced through buttonholes and then tie into a knot. It comprises a fabric sleeve encasing an elastic band whose ends are stitched to corresponding ends of the sleeve. The band is shorter than and gathers the longer sleeve into anti-slipping folds. This thus elasticized sleeve permits a nurse to quickly tie the ends into a knot but thwarts the efforts of a disturbed patient to untie and disrobe.

Background of the invention This invention relates, generally categorized, to loose flowing gowns, robes and jackets of a type customarily worn by hospitalized patients and having lengthwise edge portions which when overlapped are separably connectible by tapes or ties whose free ends are laced through buttonholes and are joined by a bow knot, a half-knot or the like, and has to do with improved slip resisting tying means, more specifically, a specially fabricated tie.

More specifically, novelty is predicated, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, on a hospital gown and more specifically on a suitably elongated composite tie whose central portion is stitched and anchored in a given position and which has specially constructed duplicate end portions which after they have been threaded through the buttonholes tend to stay put whether tied together or not.

Prior art Tapes and ties similar to the ones herein shown de scribed and claimed are shown in the baby garment patent of Collins 1,929,015 and also in the garment of Dillon 1,808,496. Unlike the Collins and Dillon patents (from separate field of invention) the present adaptation comprises ties whose ends are narrowed to provide stiff tip portions and whose end portions are gathered to uniquely enlarge the sleeve, that is the fabric sleeve so that the folds constitute anti-slipping means.

Summary Briefly the concept, which while it is directed primarily to each tape-like tie, embodies the tie in an environment or combination including a garment, for example hospital gowns. This gown has a first free edge portion, a second complemental free edge portion adapted to be lined up with, overlapped and connectibly matched with said first free edge portion and which is also provided with at least two companion buttonholes of a type through and beyond which the free but connectible ends of the edge uniting tie can be quickly laced and tied into a holding halfknot for subsequent separation. More explicitly novelty is predicated on the improved tie which is designed and adapted to facilitate tying and untying by a nurse or an authorized attendant but which is intended, because of its unusual structural character, to thwart the efforts of a feeble, unbalanced or disturbed patient to untie the free ends and disrobe. To the ends desired the free ends or end portions are yieldingly stretchable and retractible and normally retracted to provide the slip-resistant state.

The problem of having to cope with tapes and, ties 3,397,406 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 whose free ends are too easily separable has posed a problem which has apparently not been either fully recognized or met by others working in this field of endeavor. The object in the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and economical stay-put hospital gown tie which will thwart the effort of a disturbed patient to untie the same and disrobe and which also because of its unique capability will minimize the likelihood of untying, as is often the case, when a patient twists and turns in a bed. These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation which shows a hospital gown or any equivalent garment whose overlapping edges are shown in a parted position and wherein one edge portion is provided with a pair of selectively and collectively usable ties constructed in accordance with the preesnt invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective which accentuates the inventive concept and wherein the tipped gathered end portions of the tie have been passed through buttonholes.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the vertical section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and which shows the gathered end portions joined by a so-called half-knot.

FIG. 5 is a view in section and elevation which shows a single tie with a portion broken away thus illustrating the casing or sleeve and the enclosed elastic band in extended or stretched form.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the views of the drawing it will be evident that the garment is amply disclosed as a hospital gown but may, manifestly, take the form of a robe, a commonly used terry cloth robe or the like. In any event the gown is denoted generally by the numeral 6 and has an appropriate body portion 8 and a first lengthwise edge portion 10 which is designed and adapted to overlap and be separably connected with a companion edge portion 12. There are two ties (as shown in FIG. 1) but a description of one adaptation will sufiice for the description here. The edge portion 10 is not unusual in that it is provided with a cloth or similar patch 12 at an appropriate place, said patch being provided with a pair of closely spaced parallel buttonholes 14 to accommodate the free end portions of the unique tape-like tie 16. To the ends desired the edge portion 12 is provided with a patch 18 which is stitched in place and serves as a reinforcing anchor for the median portion 20, FIG. 1, of the tie.

With reference now to FIG. 5 it will be seen that the preferred tie comprises an elongated tubular fabric sleeve which constitutes and provides a casing which sleeve is denoted at 22. Although this sleeve may be of some other fabric it has been found in actual practice that a crinkly fabric such as Seersucker is ideal for the purposes desired. FIG. 5 shows the sleeve in its fully stretched position and also with the companion encased elastic band 24 stretched. This is merely for illustration purposes, inasmuch as in practice it will be understood that the sleeve 22 is of a predetermined length and transverse crosssection and has its opposite free ends doubled upon themselves as at 26 (FIG. 3) with the terminal end portion 28 stitched in place as at 30. It will be further noted that the coacting end portion 32 of the band is interposed in the double-over fold and is likewise fixed in place. Further, the end portion is narrowed and sufiiciently stiff to provide a tip which can be easily threaded through a selected one of the buttonholes. It is also to be pointed out that the elastic band 24 is normally contracted and relaxed and of a length appreciably less than the length of thet fabric sleeve 22. It follows that when the band contracts itself it functions to gather the respective end portions of the tie. It is evident therefore that the gathered porions provide a plurality of puffy folds which are denoted at 34. These folds not only give the sleeve the desired fulling effect but render the respective end portions anti-slipping after they have been threaded through the buttonholes as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Then, too, after the gathered ends are tied into a half-knot as shown in FIG. 4 the likelihood of the gathered ends sliding back through the buttonholes is reduced to a practical minimum. It will be noted in addition that the cross-section of the gathered end portions is greater than the normal size of the buttonholes to resist easy retrograde sliding. It follows that the thus constructed amply anchored tie well serves the purposes for which it has been devised and effectively used.

It is to be pointed out that although the invention shown and described is specifically referred to as a gown for hospital patients it is not limited to any specific category of gowns. In fact, the essence of the invention has to do with a unique tie for garments and which can be properly adapted for use on tapes and the like which are used on childrens play clothes, womens dresses, smocks, aprons and the like wherever tie-ends are separably connected in the manner shown.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a garment embodying a body portion and having a first free edge portion, a second complemental free edge portion adapted to be lined up with, overlapped and connectibly matched with said first free edge portion and provided with at least two companion buttonholes of a type through and beyond the free but connectible ends of an edge-uniting tie which can be quickly lace tied into a holding knot or otherwise separably connected together, and an improved manually manipulatable tie secured of its median portion to said first free edge portion and having free, but connectible ends designed and adapted to facilitate tying and untying by a nurse or an authorized attendant but which is intended to thwart the efforts of a feeble, unbalanced or disturbed patient to untie said free ends and disrobe, said free ends being yieldingly stretchable and retractable, and normally retracted and slip-resistant, whereby a hand-tied knot tends to stay put until untied by an authorized person other than the patient.

2. The garment and tie defined in and according to 4 claim 1, and wherein that portion of said second edge which is provided with said buttonholes is reinforced with a fixedly attached thickness-increasing tear-resisting cloth patch.

3. The garment and tie defined in and according to claim 1, and also wherein the median portion of said tie is superimposed on and secured to a reinforcing cloth patch which in turn is superimposed fiatwise on a prescribed fiat surface of said first edge portion and is securely stitched thereto.

4. The garment and tie defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said tie comprises an elongated tubular fabric sleeve constituting and defining a casing, and an elastic band confined and concealed in said sleeve and having opposite ends thereof secured to like opposite end portions of said casing, said elastic band being normally relaxed and when thus contracted and relaxed being of a length less than the length of said casing when the latter is drawn out to its greatest length and functioning to shorten, contract and gather the casing whereby the resultant close-gathered ruffle-like folds render the separable and connectible free end portions substantially anti-slipping when looped and tied to provide an endconnecting knot.

5. The garment and tie defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said casing has its opposite end closed, reinforced and slightly reduced in cross-section to provide relatively stiff piloting and threading tips.

6. The garment and tie defned in and according to claim 4 and wherein said tie is made of a crinkled fabric such as seersucker and wherein the puffy folds provide a fulling effect which makes the casing of a cross-section greater than the size of the buttonholes whereby to resist retrograde sliding of the end portions of the casing once they have been threaded through and beyond their respective buttonholes.

7. The garment and tie defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said tie comprises an elongated tubular sleeve made of crinkly fabric, seersucker for example, said sleeve being of (1) a predetermined length and (2) transverse cross-section and having its opposite free ends doubled upon themselves, and an elastic band encased in said sleeve and having its respective ends c0- ordinated with the respective doubled ends, stitched thereto and cooperating therewith in stiffening the thus doubled stitched ends, said band being normally contracted and relaxed and of a length appreciably less than the length of the sleeve and serving to gather the sleeve and to provide a plurality of puffy folds which not only give the sleeve the desired fulling effect but render the respective end portions anti-slipping after having been threaded through said buttonholes and also such that the folds resist untying of a hand-tied knot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,696,679 12/1928 Higgins 2-114 X RICHARD J. S'CANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner. 

